FM: Israel open to extending Gaza ceasefire for more hostages

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has announced that Israel is open to extending the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but only in exchange for the release of more Israeli hostages held by militants in the region.

Saar made this statement during a series of meetings with foreign ministers from Romania, Bulgaria, Finland, Slovakia, and Hungary in Brussels, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"We are not ruling out extending the temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of more hostages. However, without the release of the hostages, this will not happen," Saar stated. "We are committed to freeing our hostages and achieving our war goals in Gaza."

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that Saar's visit to Brussels was centered around the High-Level Forum on Israel-EU relations, during which he held personal discussions with the EU member state ministers. In addition to the hostage issue, Saar used the meetings to address the growing concerns about Iran's regional influence. 

He stressed the urgency of reinforcing current sanctions on Iran and introducing new measures to curb its actions, which he said posed a significant threat to peace throughout the Middle East.

At present, Hamas is holding a total of 73 hostages in Gaza, both living and deceased. The first phase of the ongoing exchange deal, which commenced on January 19, involves the release of 33 hostages, of whom 25 are confirmed to be alive. Thus far, only one deceased hostage from this group has been publicly identified — Shlomo Manzur. To date, six groups of hostages have been released.

The ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas was reached on January 15, following mediation efforts. Under the initial 42-day phase of the deal, Hamas is set to release 33 hostages abducted on October 7, 2023, while Israel is to withdraw some of its forces from Gaza and release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Of the 33 hostages in this phase, eight are believed to be dead, and their remains will be returned to Israel.

The Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of around 250 individuals. In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign in the Gaza Strip. According to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 47,000 people have been killed since the beginning of Israel’s offensive.

By Naila Huseynova